To notice written on a road sign or on a map a word ending with -sa (- 사) surely means reading the name of one of the many Buddhist Korean temples, to gather the followers of one of the most followed religions in South Korea. Religious constructions, with harmoniously structured roofs, covered with gray tiles and colorfully painted wood buildings, standing in the midst of the buildings of modern cities, creating an interesting historical and architectural contrast of shapes and colors, or built at the base and on the tops of the beautiful mountains of the country or on the coasts of the peninsula.
A brief history of South Korean Buddhism
The history of Buddhism, one of the most important and followed philosophies religions in South Korea (“불교” bulgyo in the local language), is quite interesting:
introduced in 374 (about 800 years after the historical Buddha’s death), during the “Three Kingdoms Period”, by a Chinese monk sent by Emperor Fu Jian with the intention of establishing better cultural relations between the two countries, once arrived in the Korean peninsula, he met and fascinated King Sosurim of the Goguryeo empire. In 375 the monarch built Korea’s first Buddhist temple (성문 사 – Seongmunsa) and proclaimed the doctrine of the Asian spiritual master as the official religion.
Around the same time, in the year 384, a monk from India began teaching Buddhism in the kingdom of Baekje, where King Asin proclaimed: “People should believe in Buddhism and seek happiness”.
However, not all of the Korean peninsula was influenced by the introduction of this new doctrine/religion during that time, in fact, the kingdom of Silla became Buddhist only a couple of centuries later.
For hundreds of years, even during subsequent dynasties, Buddhism coexisted with the other religions/disciplines practiced in the country: Confucianism, shamanism, animism and Taoism. Temples, altars, pagodas and sacred sculptures and paintings began to be built all over Korea.
Many monks started to travel to China to learn new knowledge and study the ancient texts and then translate them into Korean, some even went as far as India to find the most authentic sources.
Different schools of thought were born on the Korean peninsula and a new type of Buddhism began to be developed, with the attempt to resolve what were considered inconsistencies in the Chinese form, Mahayana.
This new Korean approach is known as Tongbulgyo – 출처 Buddhism (“Unified Buddhism”).
Typical elements of the Buddhist South Korean temples
Access is via the Iljumun – 일 주문 or “One pillar gate”, which delimits the sacred area from the profane one. A gray tiled roof supported by two or four red pillars in line, which when viewed from the side appear to be like one: to represent the illusiveness of earthly life where things are not always as they appear.
Usually, at the top of the colorful door, there is a dark wooden sign with the name of one of the Korean temples in white (or yellow), in traditional Chinese characters.
You enter one of the Korean temples from the courtyard, passing through another portal, the Sacheonwangmun – 사천왕문 or “Portal of the four heavenly kings” with the statues of the 4 fierce-looking deities guarding the 4 quadrants of paradise:
- The King Vaisravana, the leader of the 4, yellow (or even green) defends the North, with the umbrella (or sometimes a stupa) in his right hand. A symbol that in the Buddhist tradition represents protection and royalty.
- King Virudhaka in blue, protecting the South with his sword.
- King Dhrtarastra, the god of music, colored white can be seen with the 4-stringed musical instrument called “pipa”, in the East, with which he controls the time.
- King Virupaksa, in red, with a snake, or dragon, (symbol of change) in one hand and a pearl (symbol of homogeneity) in the other, is destined for the West.
The imposing statues, or sometimes paintings, are here to discourage and subdue evil spirits.
One of the main buildings is the Beopdang – 법당 the “Dharma hall”. In the center of the rear part of the hall, in front of the Buddha statues, is a raised platform from where senior monks preach and read the sacred scriptures in front of the faithful and the other monks. This is where prayers, ceremonies and chantings are held.
The Daeung-jeon – 대웅전 or “the hall of the great hero”, the hero is the historical buddha: Siddhartha Gautama. It’s the main hall and the heart of the religious complex, which contains the most important Buddhas images of the South Korean temples.
Usually in the center is the statue of the Buddha, sitting cross-legged, recognizable by the right hand on his knee, with the palm towards the body, pointing downwards. A mudra that “calls the earth to be his witness”, an image related to one of the events in the life of the spiritual master, when he called the earth to help against the temptations of the divinity of death and desire Mara. Besides, also seated in the lotus position, there can be two bodhisattvas (usually of wisdom and teaching, but the triad can also have different ones) or the Buddha of the past and the future.
The room is usually the most decorated, both inside and outside, of the whole temple complex. You will find images and sculptures of dragons, birds, guardians, famous monks, floral motifs and paintings depicting the life of the Buddha.
You can’t miss the Jonggo – 종고 or “bell tower”, which is the building containing the “4 instruments”, played by beating them, to give peace and free sentient creatures:
The Beomjong the bell for the living, the Beopgo drum for the dead, the Mokeo wood carp fish for aquatic creatures, Unpan the metal plate for the beings of the air.
Usually, played to mark the hours of the lives of one of the Korean temples, to call the monks at mealtimes and rituals.
Another building commonly found in one of the South Korean temples complex is the Myeongbu-jeon – 명부전 or “Judgment Hall” with the statue of the bodhisattva Kshitigarbha in the center, looking like a monk, who has decided not to enter Nirvana until all human beings have achieved enlightenment, helping them along the way. The “10 heavenly kings” are also represented. The dead, according to Korean belief, once they leave the body go through the judgment of these kings, who decide on their fate based on how they lived their earthly life. The relatives of the deceased come here to pray and hold ceremonies asking the bodhisattva Kshitigarbha to help and protect their loved ones on the journey.
Unmistakable for its multi-level tower shape and beauty is the Pagoda in the main courtyard, they can be of different sizes and materials, more or less elaborate, sometimes they are buildings other only structures with vertical development.
They usually contain relics of important saints and monks.
The traditional pagodas of the Korean peninsula are built of stone (usual granite), the first to have been erected date back to the 7th century during the Baekje kingdom. But there are also pagodas built in wood.
Nahanjeon – 나한전 – the hall dedicated to the “Arhats”, the followers of the Buddha who achieved enlightenment by destroying greed, hatred and ignorance and entered Nirvana. Here are the statues dedicated to them.
Sansingak – 산신각 – the “shrine of the three wise men” dedicated to the Big Dipper divinity, the Wise Hermit and the God of the Mountain. You can find an altar dedicated to just one of them or to all three. Related to the shamanic tradition that has been partly incorporated into Korean Buddhism, Korean pray in their presence asking for graces, longevity, luck…
In the complex area, there are often buildings used as monastic lodges, where monks and devotees are hosted.
Pungsu-jiri: the exact location to build a Buddhist South Korean temples
Sacred architectures don’t rise at a random point, but the exact geographical position is investigated, in harmony with the forces of nature, on which to start building the Koren temples. To find this site, follow the principles of pungsu-jiri: the Korean version of Chinese Feng Shui, developed by Master Doseon (around 900) who studied and adapted the dictates of the geomantic art of neighboring China to the spiritual and cultural traditions and to the conformation of the territory of his country.
The pungsu-jiri represents a method of divination where the forces and flows of the earth relative to the territory are studied, finding balance and harmony between them that will be favorable for the construction of the temple. Principles that are also applied to royal palaces, imperial tombs, villages, fields and other constructions.
So when you are visiting one of the Buddhist South Korean temples you are certainly in a special place!
Dancheong: the art of decorations used in the Buddhist South Korean temples
The bright colors of roofs and ceilings, doors and windows, pillars and walls that make up the architecture of the Korean temples and their geometric and floral motifs create wonderful decorations that follow the patterns of the “dancheong”: the art that for millennia it is respected to embellish the wooden structures of sacred buildings, royal palaces and some houses.
Based on pre-established symbolic designs and on 5 main colors related to the 5 elements: red-fire, blue-wood, yellow-earth, white-gold and black-water.
The various colors and designs were used in different constructions according to different social positions.
In addition to beautifully decorating buildings, paints also protect the wood of the structures from the elements.
The South Korean temples are found almost everywhere and a visit to at least one of them to get an idea of what they represent architecturally, artistic and historical is really worth it.
If you are in Seoul you can visit, in the center of the Korean capital, the Jogyesa temple (조계사) belonging to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is a few minutes walk from the Anguk metro station, on the orange line.
If you are in Busan don’t miss the beautiful Haedong Yonggung temple, built on the rocky southern shores of the peninsula.
If you are near Sokcho there is the interesting Naksansa temple. On a hill overlooking the sea.
One of the most important and visited by tourists is the Bulguksa temple in Gyeongju.
Numerous other South Korean temples are scattered along the coasts or at the bases and tops of the beautiful mountains of the Korean Peninsula.
Sometimes embarking on an adventure to discover a new one of them is a great way of experiencing the Asian country!
